魅力
解説 Definition
charm は人や物の「魅力」という意味です。日本語の「チャーム」は飾りや小物を指すこともありますが、英語では人を引きつける性質を表すことが多いです。
Charm is an appealing quality in a person, place, or thing that attracts, delights, or pleases others, often in a warm or distinctive way rather than through obvious beauty or power.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
charm の中心は、人や場所が自然に人を引きつける「魅力」。ラテン語 carmen「歌・呪文」から「魔法で引きつける力」を経て現在の意味になったので、魅力を魔法のような引力と捉えるとよい。have charm、a special charm、retain its charm を覚え、日本語の「チャーム＝飾り」だけに限定しない。
Think of charm as a gentle power of attraction. Its history connects it with a song or spoken spell, so the modern sense can be remembered as a quality that draws people in almost magically. This does not have to mean physical beauty: a smile, an old house, or a small town can all have charm. Learn useful patterns such as have charm, possess a special charm, add charm to something, and retain its charm. Japanese チャーム may suggest a small decorative object, but in these examples the English noun means an attractive personal or atmospheric quality.
例文
The small town has a special charm.
その小さな町には特別な魅力があります。
Her smile adds charm to the room.
彼女の笑顔が部屋に魅力を添えています。
The old house still keeps its charm.
その古い家は今も魅力を保っています。
charm の類義語・関連語
類義語
対義語
紛らわしい語
charm の語源・成り立ち Etymology
ラテン語 carmen（呪文・歌）から古フランス語 charme を経て英語に入った。原義は「魔法の呪文で人を惹きつける力」。関連語：charming（魅力的な）、enchant（魔法をかける）。呪文で人を魅了する→「魅力」へと意味が世俗化した語。
Charm entered English through Old French charme from Latin carmen, meaning a song, verse, ritual utterance, or spell. Its earliest English senses concerned incantations and supposedly magical influence. The idea of exerting a spell-like power over someone then developed into the nonmagical sense of attracting or delighting people. From that development comes the modern noun meaning an appealing quality in a person, place, or object. The related adjective charming preserves the same idea of pleasantly attracting others.
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